"Careful, it's hot."
Rosa raised a humoured brow. "I would hope so, otherwise we'll need to report the kettle as broken."
Billy laughed softly. "Fair point." She took a timid sip and quickly decided against another just yet.
"Do you not find this in the slightest bit odd?" Rosa asked, her eyes settling on Billy's.
"In what way?"
"In the way that we were married for two years, had a baby, split up, and haven't been in the same room as each other for more than a few minutes in nearly sixteen years…and now we're sharing a house together for a week?"
"I mean…when you put it that way…" Billy smiled. "I guess I try not to dwell on the past too much."
Accepting the explanation, Rosa paused before she said, "I realised earlier there are a lot of things we've never talked about."
Billy pulled a stool out and sat down too. "That’s true. We've never quite found the right moment when we were both in a good place, I guess."
Rosa nodded and sipped the tea, wincing at the heat, then at the taste. "I'm not sure I'll ever be a fan."
"Of the tea…or me?" Billy joked.
She didn't answer but sipped the tea again. Gently, she got up and pushed the stool back under the counter. "I guess it might grow on me. Goodnight, Billy." Rosa walked away with the tea.
Rosa woke early, with the sun shining through the window, showering the room in hues of red and orange. The cup of cold tea on the bedside table sat untouched beyond the few sips taken the previous night.
Throwing the covers off, she felt the chill in the air and pulled her jumper from the chair, slipping it on over the top of her pyjamas as she stood and wandered to the window.
It had snowed overnight. She knew because she'd watched it until her eyes had eventually given in and closed.
She grabbed the mug and padded out into the lounge. A decent cup of tea—that was what she needed.
Billy wasn't anywhere to be seen.
And she wasn't sure if she was happy or sad about that, which was a strange place to be when she'd been so indifferent all these years.
No, not indifferent. Angry. She'd been angry,andresentful, for so many of those years. And there was validity to those feelings—she had no qualms or guilt about it. But maybe…maybe it was time to let that go?
Letting go wasn’t that easy, though, was it? Not when lately, every glance at Billy had her torn between wanting to throttle her and wanting to rip her clothes off. And that just pissed her off even more.
All these years, and Billy Fisk could still have that impact on her.
"Morning," came a sleepy voice from behind her. Rosa twisted on the stool and almost fell off. Billy stood there, long hair hanging loose and messy, one hand scratching the back of her head as she both yawned and stretched.
The black vest top rose up, revealing a flat stomach that clearly showed signs of working out. Rosa's gaze slipped lower before she caught herself.
Boy shorts, also black…also short, long tanned legs protruding. "Did you sleep well?" Billy asked, as though this were a normal, everyday situation.
Rosa swivelled back around again, picking up her mug of tea.
"As best as I could expect."
"Great." Billy walked past and opened the fridge. She pulled out a carton of orange juice, about to open and swig from it when she felt eyes on her and grinned. "Sorry, bad habit."
"Now I see where Imogen gets it from." Rosa sipped her tea. "Kettle has just boiled if you wanted a proper cup of tea."
"I try to avoid too much caffeine," Billy said, finding a glass and pouring some juice.
"No alcohol, no caffeine, meditation…" Rosa said as she watched Billy swallow the orange juice down in one long gulp.
